What “We Shouldn’t Need Any More Leni Robredos” Really Means

by Maria Carmilla Ereño

The sky is dark once again. In the face of the relentless storms, the Filipino masses find themselves unable to rise above the currents of hardship, persistently clinging to the fragile hope that a rainbow will appear after the rain. However, amid the darkness, it is not this hope that shines but the government’s neglect. And after the rain, it is not a rainbow that appears but the dead bodies of the forsaken masses. Yet, even as they wade through grief and loss, Filipinos are expected to endure — to demonstrate resilience and bayanihan, for which their culture is known — finding the strength to rebuild, lifting one another up, and proving that their spirit remains unbroken.

On the brink of desperation, the masses saw no way out except to fall victim to the elites’ machinery of deception. Through relief operations after each disaster, the people’s needs for climate justice and effective disaster risk management have been reduced to mere band-aid solutions that provide only temporary relief.

There is no calm before the storm

Typhoon Kristine entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on October 21. However, it took two days for the cabinet of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to hold a situation briefing. By that time, the Bicol region was already submerged in floodwaters, and fourteen fatalities had already been reported. Despite this, the President’s statement was, “there is nothing we can do except wait for it to pass.”

In the past years, the country’s experience with intense storms has been anything but new. In 2009, the consecutive strikes of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng claimed a total of 956 Filipino lives. In 2013, approximately 6,300 lives were lost due to the impact of Typhoon Yolanda in the Visayas. In 2022, the country was taken by surprise by what was believed to be a weak storm, Typhoon Paeng, which affected 1,269,166 families. This year, various parts of Bulacan have been submerged in floodwaters ranging from chest-deep to taller than the average person due to the passing storms. However, the severity of these effects has been reduced to mere statistics — overlooking the stories behind each number.

Even in the face of these devastations, there seems to be no significant progress from the authorities in their strategies for mitigating the impacts of disasters and responding promptly. The lack of a concrete plan is evident in the actions taken by the administration of Marcos Jr., not only during the onslaught of typhoon Kristine but also in earlier crises, where urgency was not prioritized. Instead, accountability is sidestepped with statements like “beyond the government’s control” and “there’s nothing they can do,” as these calamities are treated as dictated by nature.

Through these mechanisms, disasters become a personal problem for the masses, starkly separated from the broader structural failures of the government. However, the increasing intensity of these disasters proves that neither the masses nor nature controls their fate, but rather the combined forces of corporate and political elites who drain the country’s resources for their interests.

In the hands of an indifferent state that capitalizes on the pleas of its people, the nation does not experience the “calm before the storm,” for the storm never truly ceases. It lingers long before the typhoon arrives and endures even after its fury has passed.

There is no rainbow after the rain

When the rain stops, no rainbow appears for the masses. Surviving the storm is only the beginning; the struggle to recover from the devastation is yet another challenge. With no other choice, they must press on. Despite the trauma, exhaustion, loss of loved ones, and destruction of their livelihoods, they have to move forward to rebuild their lives.

Given the frequent onslaught of powerful typhoons in the Philippines and the state’s framing of these calamities as personal problems of the masses, it is expected that people have grown accustomed to repeatedly facing and recovering from disasters. In this context, the Filipino culture of resilience is often praised. These narratives of resilience are celebrated by the government — intentionally overlooking the lives lost due to its failures — as a way to evade accountability to the people. Although the impacts of disasters could be mitigated and proactively addressed through comprehensive solutions, the government exploits Filipino resilience to dodge deeper discussions on climate justice.

Beyond resilience, the state has abused the Filipino culture of bayanihan to shift accountability away from itself and onto non-state actors. Donation drives and relief operations organized by non-governmental organizations have overshadowed the state’s actions. However, this trend is a manifestation of an endless cycle of unmet promises and systemic failures rooted in ineffective policies and the poor implementation of the four phases of disaster risk management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. These four phases have been singled out by the government for relief operations, as if they could serve as a panacea for all the miseries faced by the masses.

With these factors in play, this system is no longer just a matter of the state’s negligence. At this point, Filipinos are being deliberately deprived of effective solutions, as it is easier for the greedy in power to take advantage of the vulnerable when they are mired in despair.

As the sun rises, it is not a rainbow that greets the sky but the noisy helicopters of politicians. Below, local elites — who regard their municipalities as personal strongholds — scatter across rescue boats, though not to conduct actual rescues. Carrying their “aid” for the victims, they cultivate the illusion of a savior complex. Consequently, the masses develop a sense of “gratitude” toward those who help them in their time of dire need, in return, the politicians maintain their grip on power. Therefore, it is unjust to blame the masses for becoming instruments of these politicians in preserving the status quo; they are victims of how the ruling elite exploit desperation and deception to manipulate this dynamic.

The sky is dark once again. With the election looming, greedy and incompetent politicians are already eyeing positions of power. While it is true that we need more leaders like Leni Robredo, Filipinos must not depend on anyone else for their strength. Amid the darkness, it is necessary for the masses to recognize their own power and collective voice in asserting the need for climate resilience and effective disaster risk management. More than the band-aid solution of relief operations, the Filipino people deserve long-term relief.